The four lessons
by dax0042
Summary: This was requested by retro mania. Baloo has done a very bad thing by hitting his boss, Rebecca Cunningham. He can't think of anything but to fly away, but a ambush by Don Karnage sends him to a icy grave, or so everyone thought. Now Baloo wakes up 20 years into the future, will he learn anything after being gone for so long? Please leave reviews.
1. Chapter 1

The engines of the Sea Duck roared to life, giving Baloo a happy feeling that today was going to be a great day. With the tip of his pilots cap, he opened the cockpit door and began to climb in, but...

"Baloo!" Rebecca Cunningham shouted, storming down toward Baloo. "Where do you think you're going? You still haven't finished doing the innovatory."

Baloo wasn't in the mood right now to answer her, so he kept his mouth shut and tried to climb back in the cockpit.

However, Rebecca grabbed his flight shirt and pulled him down. She tapped her foot and waited to hear the next lame excuse he had to offer. Baloo smiled. "I was just going to see if I could find out where I lost the cargo," he lied, but his boss wasn't falling for it.

If he said: _I'm going to Louise's place_ , Rebecca would have believed that. If he said: _I'm just going to take the old girl out for a spin,_ she would have excepted that, but for Baloo to go looking for some lost cargo, now that was no doubt a lie. No! Rebecca had lost her cool with all the lying and now it was time to bring down the hammer.

"Baloo, I can't take this any more," she fumed. Baloo's smile slowly faded. "Every time you leave to go out for a spin in the Sea Duck, I get stuck dealing with the kids, making sure Wildcat doesn't blow up my office and I also try to keep my business in the black."

"Don't give me any of you're fancy business talk, Becky," he groaned, frowning.

Soon the argument became a bitter battle of pride and insults. Every time Rebecca tried to bring Baloo down, he would counter back with even meaner things to say. He probably didn't mean to say some of things he did, but it happened and Rebecca, who was know for her hot temper, started to really lose her temper with Baloo.

About this time, Kit and Molly would be returning from school. It didn't take them long to hear Baloo and Rebecca arguing like two out of control teenagers. Kit didn't want Molly hearing any of the argument, so he had her go inside the office. And good thing to, because what was starting to come out of Baloo's mouth was pretty bad.

"I don't give a damn if you think I'm a no-good lying pilot," Baloo cursed, shooting a look of hate at Rebecca. "Why the hell can't you just leave me alone?"

Kit could already see the hurt building in Rebecca's eyes. Tears were being barely held in check as she continued to fight with Baloo.

"Why can't you see the truth, Baloo?" she stared at him accusingly, the anger plainly seen in her face. "You probably can't even picture how hard I have to work when you are out having all the fun. What I do is for the best of Higher for Hire, and for Kit and Molly. I thought you had changed when Kit met you, but all I see is a fat old bear who has no respect for anyone but himself."

"Don't talk to me that way. I'm not sixteen and you aren't Kit's mother." Baloo snapped.

"I am the closet thing he has to a mother. You're just a bad excuse of a father that is going to ruin Kit's life." Rebecca screamed.

Then what happened next was something no one was suspecting.

Baloo didn't plan to slap her, his hand was just moving on its own accord. The very sight shocked Kit. Rebecca's mouth hung open in shock, her hand touching her stinging, reddened cheek.

"You son of a bitch," Rebecca whispered softly. "How dare you hit me? I'm your boss. You know what I can do to you?"

"What? Are you going to fire me, boss lady? Kind of hard to cut me off anymore than you already have." Baloo growled.

She looked so mad and hurt that it made Baloo suddenly regret what he did, but came next was something he wished he never heard next.

"Baloo! Why'd you do that?!" Kit shouted, running over to Rebecca's side. The young cub looked at where Baloo had slapped her, he shot a glance at him and frowned. "You just hit our boss, and over what? Some stupid argument."

Baloo had never seen Kit look at him with such anger. "I-I didn't... I mean," no matter how hard he tried, Baloo couldn't find the words. The look Kit gave him was still there, and now Rebecca, with tears in her eyes shot an angry glace at. Then he did the one thing he could think of. The one decision that would be his worst idea of all.

Baloo just turned, jumped in his plane and flew off. Leaving Kit and Rebecca there on the dock. Their shouting carried his name over the winds, but it was the only thing Baloo could hear.

"It isn't my fault!" Baloo shouted, slamming his fists on the control panel. It was like he had his own privet war with himself.

Far off in the icy north, the Iron Vulture flew through the freezing rain. The crew was grateful for the ship's mighty engine which kept them warm, safe from coldness that beat down outside. Up on the command deck, Don Karnage was sitting in his chair, board out of his life. It had been two weeks and there had been no sign of any would be victims.

 _I just wish a plane would zip by us._ The captain thought to himself with a frown. Just then, "Captain! The Sea Duck has been spotted coming straight at us!" Mad Dog shouted as he ran to his captain's side.

"That bothersome, Baloo has answered my prayers," Karnage laughed, then grabbed the helm and turned the Iron Vulture into the wind. "Mad Dog, have the crew be ready for a joyful plunder. Today, Baloo has made Don Karnage, which is me, very happy."

With that, Mad Dog gave the order, and just like clock work, the crew were rushing to their stations. Ready to shoot down Baloo-and shoot him too for all the bad times he gave them.

Baloo flew through the storm, never suspecting that he was about to attacked. In fact the only thing on his mind was how he had so wrongly smacked Rebecca. Baloo never felt such pain in life, but a new pain took its place.

The sound of gunfire erupted from out of nowhere. Bullets riddled the Sea Duck's right wing and cockpit. Baloo didn't know what hit him until two stray bullets took him in the left shoulder and in his right hand.

From the command deck, Karnage watch with a victorious smile as the Sea Duck went down. He had seen the blood spray against the cockpit's window, which suggested that Baloo had been killed in his ambush.

"Baloo," he said calmly, "we're even now."

Then, the Sea Duck and Baloo his the frozen water below. The air pirates didn't want to take the chance of Baloo making it out alive so they dropped bombs, fire at the area where the plane went down. Smoke and fire spread around the ice. Mad Dog flew closer to get a better view.

"The Sea Duck is gone," he gasped, unable to believe his own eyes. "We killed Baloo!"

Now they were sure that Baloo was dead, never a again to be seen. So the pirates returned to the Iron Vulture full of pride. Karnage sat back down and pulled out a victory bottle of soda pop. "This is for you, Baloo," he said taking a sip, but for some reason, Karnage suddenly felt really sad. He had indeed hated Baloo, so why was he sad? Maybe because without Baloo, he had no one that could stand up to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Baloo felt very weak as his eyes opened and quickly closed them when a bright light hit them. He raised his hand and shielded his eyes from light, then looked around. Baloo could tell he was in a hospital bed, most likely at Cape Suzette General or some place near there.

And the last thing he remembered was being attacked by the air pirates that were with Karnage.

"Well, well," a voice spoke. "All good things really do come to those who wait."

Baloo looked at who was talking and saw a man with his back turned to him, but he had trouble finding his voice. "Where am I?"

"The crash must have messed you up more then it had already had. Look around you. Do you not see that you are in the recovery wing of a hospital?" the man said, then turned around to face him.

The man was about thirty. He had light brown fur and had a tattoo that read: The crazy Aces. He wore a black flight jacket, old and worn. He looked familiar to Baloo, but Baloo couldn't figure out who he was.

"I'll never forget that afternoon." The man said walking up to the bed. "Twenty years ago. What was that you said to Rebecca before you slapped here? Don't talk to me that way. I'm not sixteen and you aren't Kit's mother." The man laughed bitterly at Baloo as he began to see who was standing in front of him. "But you were wrong. She not only raised Molly and Kit without you, but she also was there for him-like the good mother she was, but you? You Baloo never were there for your boy."

"Who _are_ you?" Baloo demanded, getting out of the bed. "And how do you know all that?"

The man walked up to him. He reached into his jacket and pulled out an old baseball cap. "Don't you recognize me, Baloo? I was your navigator on the Sea Duck. Kit Cloudkicker."

Baloo was shocked. How could 20 years go by that he didn't remember living. There was only one reason for that. "When I was shot down, was I found frozen in ice?"

Kit nodded. "Yes, but nobody knew where you were, that was until I just happened to spot the Sea Duck while I was flying. She was frozen, so I landed my plane and saw that you were frozen as well, but I still remember the story that you told me about Rick Sky and how he was frozen."

Baloo could remember that day when he told Kit about that. Kit went on with his story.

"And when I saw you, I chopped you out of the ice so you could see how things have changed without you. And I think you know the rest of the story."

Now it was clear. Baloo had been frozen for 20 years and now Kit had grown up, but there was still more Baloo wanted to know...

"What about the others? Molly? Rebecca? Why aren't they here?" he asked.

Kit smiled. "They don't know about you, because I wanted to be the first to see you. Now come with me, it's time to show you the changes you have missed."

Baloo still had one more question he needed answered. "Why did chop me out of the ice, Kit?" Kit stopped and looked at him. "You could have just left me and kept on flying, but you didn't. Why?"

Kit thought for a moment. "Love."

"Love?"

"Yes, love. I loved you as if you were my father and I still do." then he took Baloo by the hand and led him outside. Once they were outside, Baloo could really see a difference-Cape Suzette had been taken over by pirates. There were billboards with Don Karnage on them, smiling like he always did.

The churches were now turned into houses of sin.

The markets were still filled with food, but also drugs and guns.

Everything was messed up!

Baloo looked over and saw a sixty year old man getting mugged by two teenagers and no one did a thing about it. "Ain't we going to help him?" he asked, Kit shook his head. "Can't we call the cops?"

"What cops?" Kit replied sadly. "They were all killed when Karnage came in. Now, he runs the city."

There was cold, heart stopping feeling now in Baloo's chest. His home was now Karnage's home.

Soon, Baloo and Kit came to docks were he had worked those many years ago. The main office of Higher for Hire was still standing, but the sign that hung outside was missing, and a new sign had taken its place.

Baloo couldn't believe what he saw. "The sexy tail bar?!"

"Yes," Kit sighed walking to the door. "After Karnage took over he came here first," a look of fear washed over his face. "I still remember the things he did to me as his crew had their fun with Molly and Rebecca."

"Kit... I-I should have never left," the older pilot said, but Kit suddenly grabbed him and pushed him against the wall.

"But you did, BALOO!" he screamed. "Now Molly is hooked on drugs and Rebecca is now debt to Karnage."

"Kit, let him go..." a soft gentle voice said. "I want to see him with with my own eyes."

Baloo already could tell that sweet voice came from Molly, but when he saw her it suddenly changed the mood he was in. She was dressed in a immoral way. She looked very tired and sick.

She walked up to Baloo and touched his cheek with the palm of her hand. "Baloo? Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's me, Molly," he whispered.

It was true—Baloo had returned to them. Within seconds, Molly threw herself into his arms and hugged him. "Oh, Baloo, I missed you," she sobbed.

Kit knew it was better if they caught up in the office and in they went. There were only a few people at the bar. Most were con artists, but a few were good people. One of the patrons was Mad Dog, who despite his age looked alright, but there was one thing that set him apart from the others—he was owner of the bar.

Yes, the owner.

He stood behind the counter, quiet and alert. His eyes shifted to Baloo, but only shrugged. "It couldn't be him," he sighed. "Molly, did you get what I want?"

Molly pulled out a small packet of cocain and placed it on the bar. With a smile, Mad Dog reached over and took the drugs. He then looked up at Baloo. "What will it be?" he asked, wiping a clean spot for the older pilot. "We have lots of good drinks, good smokes and if you really feel like venting off some stress, we have Molly here to care for your needs."

Baloo's jaw dropped. Was Mad Dog suggesting that he have sex with Molly? Not within two seconds did Baloo wait to grab Mad Dog by the neck. The pirate then realized who had grabbed him. With his hands tightly around Mad Dog's throat, Baloo began shouting at the top of his lungs.

"You pirates invade my home! Abuse my loved one and turn Molly into your little sex slave! I'll Kill you!" But Kit picked up a bottle and brought it down on Baloo. Baloo let go of Mad Dog and fell to the floor—knocked out.

"Karnage will want to know Baloo has returned," Mad Dog gasped, trying to catch his breath. He didn't waste any time running out the door to his car and driving off like a madman. This would allow Kit and Molly some time to get Baloo to the underground hideout.

 _You still have the temper of yours, Papa bare._ Kit thought with a smile.


End file.
